“Suspiria” (2018): A Bloody Masterpiece
The 2018 “Suspiria” is a surprisingly well-crafted and extraordinary film that somehow manages to improve upon the already legendary 1977 Argento-directed original.
The original “Suspiria” was noteworthy for its insane cinematography that was simultaneously otherworldly beautiful, while at the same time chillingly horrifying. Its main problems, and problems I say extremely lightly, are that its plot is completely arbitrary and nonsensical—while also having at times awful voice performances via poor dubbing. But in the 2018 version, the plot is the central driving force of the plot—and thank god for it.
Director Luca Guadagnino decided to take the dance academy background where the film is set and apply a magnifying-glass-like closeness to every aspect that occurs within its walls. All the while, the audience is thoroughly encapsulated in the multitude of awesome performances by the likes of Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton, among others.
Johnson, who plays the titular character Susie Bannion, is captivating from the moment she walks onto the screen. Her dancing routines are breathtaking, and her facial expressions in every scene seem to just pull you in further to the harrowing atmosphere. Swinton, on the other hand, plays three characters, Madame Blanc, Dr. Jozef Klemperer and Helena Markos, with such range that unless you check the cast while watching, you won’t realize that she is playing these people.
You’re probably wondering, what the hell is this movie about? I don’t want to give you too much, as a good part of the horror is the sheer mystique and mystery within the layered plot. Basically, a young dancer named Susie Bannion comes to Berlin from America in 1977, during the real “German Autumn.” Little does she know that the dance academy is run by a coven of witches, who align with the Three Mothers—one of which is Mater Suspiriorum. Once Bannion has joined the academy she slowly becomes tainted by their presence, and the rest is a hellish escapade down the roads of cinematic greatness.
To me there is only one part of this film that is perhaps of issue and that has to do with the use of a CGI’d Helena Markos in the end. That bit of CGI is not great—but it really only sticks out like a blemish because the rest of the movie is so tremendous.
If you want to watch a horror movie that isn’t just keeping you awake with loud noise, five minute intervals of jump scares, and instantaneous research done via Skype—cough, cough, “Sinister”—than this is the film for you. In my opinion, this is the best horror movies that I’ve seen that’s been made in the 2000s. It’s really a stunningly gory and beautiful piece of cinema.
Grade: 9.789/10